Another Suggestion Semaglutide Might Cut Dementia Risk
What should we take away from yet another suggestion that semaglutide might cut the risk of dementia?
An Unexpected Finding
This latest hint was a surprise. It comes from research that aimed to measure the risk of neurological and psychiatric problems associated with taking semaglutide for type 2 diabetes. Riccardo De Giorgi and colleagues were concerned about reports of problems like depression and self harm following the use of GLP-1 medicines like semaglutide.
But they did not find evidence to support a concern about those and other problems:
“Concerns regarding potential neuropsychiatric adverse outcomes associated with semaglutide are not supported by our analyses, which is informative to regulatory bodies, patients, and clinicians. Our findings instead prompt further investigations into the role of semaglutide for the treatment or prevention of cognitive deficits and nicotine misuse.”
In fact they found an association between semaglutide use for diabetes and a 28% lower risk of dementia in comparison to drugs from three other classes – DPP-4, sulfonylurea, and SGLT-2. They also found a lower risk of nicotine misuse in association with semaglutide.
Observational Research
Of course, it’s important to note that this is observational research. Furthermore, it was exploratory. The researchers make it clear that they did not follow a pre-registered protocol or statistical analysis plan. They were digging for problems in electronic health records for a cohort of roughly 65,000 adults with an average age in their late 50s.
Thus, their findings do not add up to evidence for a benefit. They merely point to the merit of doing more definitive research to determine if there is a benefit to cognition for using semaglutide. This current research lines up with findings in other observational research.
Definitive Research Underway
Fortunately, more definitive research is already underway. Novo Nordisk is conducting two phase 3 studies – EVOKE and EVOKE+ – to determine if semaglutide really does prevent loss of cognition function in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease. A reading of results may come as early as next year, but full completion of the studies will not be until 2026.
Diabetes and obesity are both associated with dementia risk. But there may be other factors in play with the observation of a potential benefit from semaglutide versus other agents used for diabetes.
This will be fascinating research to watch. If results are positive, the story will grow stronger that treating obesity, as well as diabetes, is a good way to prevent other diseases.
Click here for the study in Lancet eClinicalMedicine and here for further reporting. For data from RCTs and a Danish registry cohort, click here.
Senecio, painting by Paul Klee / WikiArt
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July 15, 2024